


Azaleas in a Black Vase

by Samaimia



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Blood, Hanahaki Disease, I Made Myself Cry, M/M, Vomiting, eso round 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-28
Updated: 2019-07-28
Packaged: 2020-07-23 17:07:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20011813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Samaimia/pseuds/Samaimia
Summary: ESO Round 2 Prompt #153: (any ship) Hanahaki au"Mao knew that he was doomed from the beginning."





	Azaleas in a Black Vase

**Author's Note:**

> Azaleas are both a sign of care and gentle passion, yet, in a black vase, are also a sign of death.
> 
> Here's my submission for ESO Round 2 with the Hanahaki AU prompt!

Mao knew that he was doomed from the beginning.

He knew when the fluttery butterflies in his stomach turned into frigid waves of nausea every time Hokuto spoke.

He knew when he coughed up a single azalea petal while eating dinner with his sister. She looked at him with a terrified look. She knew that he was doomed, too.

He tried to hide the flowers at first. Mao would often go to the bathroom and cough up more and more azaleas during the school day. But as they became more frequent, he stopped going to school altogether. 

Whenever someone came over to check on him, his sister would tell them that he wasn't home, or that he was asleep. She couldn't keep Ritsu out for long, though. The 10th time he came by, he pushed past her and ran up to Mao's room.

There, he saw the boy with his hair haphazardly tied back and knelt over a bin. Azaleas and petals covered with fresh and dried blood littered the floor and the bed. Mao's sheets were stained with blood and, to Ritsu's surprise, vomit. Mao spat out a few more petals into the bin and turned towards him, wiping the blood off of his mouth.

"Hey, Rittchan," his voice was hoarse and barely audible, "How'd you convince Mai to let you in?"

"Who is it?" Ritsu ignored his greeting and rushed over to the boy's side. Mao's face was eerily pale, nearly as pale as Ritsu himself.

Mao hesitated before he pointed to a picture on his desk that's covered in petals and bloody vomit. 

Ritsu walked over to the desk and picked up the photo by the only clean corner. It was a photograph of Trickstar, the four boys standing with Anzu, making a star with their hands. Someone's face was torn out, however. Hokuto's. 

"The more I looked at his face, the more flowers would come out. Sometimes they'd get stuck in my throat and make me gag really bad and make me puke. It freaking sucks. I can't keep anything down these days without blood and vomit and azaleas coming out," Mao explained with a dry smile.

Ritsu dropped the photo and looked Mao in the eye, "Why won't you get the flowers removed?"

Mao, shockingly, laughed, "Mai asked that, too, tried begging me to go to the hospital. But then… I wouldn't love him anymore."

Ritsu stared incredulously as Mao coughs up another azalea.

"Trickstar went on hiatus because Hokuto and the others wouldn't perform without you. You keep sending Maa-chan to push them away for you so you can do what? Sit here and pine for Hokuto and choke to death?" he growled, "This isn't like you, Maa-kun."

Two voices suddenly rang through the hallway.

"Wait! You can't go in there!" hollered Mai.

"If that's where I can't go, that must be where Isara is," rebutted a deep, unmistakable voice.

Hokuto appeared in the doorway, with the younger Isara shortly behind. Mao's eyes widened at the sight of his unit leader, who rushed over to the sickly boy.

"Isara," Hokuto tried to begin, "You should have told us you had Hanahaki. We- I could've helped take- help your family and Sakuma take care of you, find the person-" Mao cut him off with a violent coughing fit. Azaleas and blood dribbled from his mouth. They wouldn't stop. Hokuto looked at Ritsu and Mai for help, but they both stared solemnly back.

It finally clicked. He was the cause of Mao's illness. Hokuto's stomach dropped. After a beat of silence, he spoke.

"Isara...it's me, isn't it?"

The flow of bloody flowers slowed, and Mao nodded slowly. Hokuto put his arms around him and embraced him.

"Don't… do that… I'm gonna bleed all over you…" Mao groaned.

"I don't care if you bleed on me, It's my fault, I didn't know, I'm so sorry, Isara, I didn't know… I didn't know…" Tears began to roll down Hokuto's cheeks as he held Mao closer. Ritsu looked at Mai and quietly shuffled her out of the room, closing the door behind them as Mao too began to cry.

The flowers stopped coming, and Mao spat a glob of blood from the back of his throat into the bin behind Hokuto. 

"I never told you, did I, Hokuto? I never told you I loved you?" Mao laughed bitterly. He shook his head from his shoulder.

"I'm the stupidest motherfucker in the world then, huh…" Mao weakly hugged him back,"I wish I could've said something earlier… told you that I… love you."

Hokuto cried harder, "I love you too, I love you Isara, I love you…"

The two sat on the bloodied floor sobbing until Mao suddenly fell limp in Hokuto's arms.

"It's too late for me, you know. I don't have much time left," he tried to laugh but it came out as a weak sigh, "I can't stand anymore. Can't keep food or water down. All because I was afraid of… you."

"NO! NO! THERE'S STILL TIME, ISARA!" Hokuto yelled through his tears, "I-I'm gonna… I'm gonna save you!… Is-Mao," He moved Mao into his lap and kissed him gently. His lips were severely chapped and caked in dried blood. His face was paler than ever, and his emerald eyes were void of their mischievous sparkle.

"I love you, Mao."

Hokuto never got a response.

**Author's Note:**

> whips and dabs follow me on twitter @saisaipsycho if you liked this minecraft lets play


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